Abstract

Hysteresis effects taking place in the rectifying current-voltage characteristic of self-switching diodes are studied by means of a semiclassical Monte Carlo simulator. When the applied voltage is higher than a certain threshold, in both negative and positive voltage sweeps, a well-defined hysteresis loop appears which can be exploited for memory applications. An algorithm for the simulation of surface effects has been introduced in the Monte Carlo simulator to explain this behavior in terms of the charging and discharging of the surface states on the etched sidewalls of the structure. Devices with different geometries have been simulated, and a detailed microscopic analysis of the behavior of surface charge and potential profiles has been performed. The reduction of the channel length or the increase of the width improves the discrimination of the memory state (by providing a higher reverse current); however, this induces a decrease of the reverse voltage threshold.

Received 25 May 2007Accepted 13 July 2007Published online 08 August 2007

Acknowledgments:

This work has been partially supported by the Dirección General de Investigación (MEC, Spain) and FEDER through the Project No. TEC2004-05231 and by the Consejería de Educación of the Junta de Castilla y León (Spain) through the Project No. SA044A05.